Information processing apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Abstract

A controller of an information processing apparatus is configured to control a vehicle to drive automatically by communicating with the vehicle via a communication interface, the vehicle being capable of towing a work vehicle and of driving automatically on public roads.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a communication interface configured to communicate with a vehicle and an unmanned aircraft which are configured to automatically tow a work vehicle, wherein 
 the processor is configured to control the towing of the work vehicle by:
 based on a degree of soiling of a sensor included in the work vehicle exceeding a predetermined value, transmitting a first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft and a second command via the communication interface to the vehicle, the unmanned aircraft, in response to the first command, automatically flying and towing the work vehicle on a non-public road from a work place of the work vehicle to a waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically driving and towing the work vehicle on a public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to a first place, and 
 based on the degree of soiling of the sensor included in the work vehicle being equal to or less than the predetermined value, transmitting the second command via the communication interface to the vehicle without transmitting the first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft, so that the work vehicle automatically drives using the sensor on the non-public road from the work place of the work vehicle to the waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically drives and tows the work vehicle on the public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to the first place. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vehicle is configured to carry the unmanned aircraft. 
 
     
     
       3. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the towing includes wireless towing. 
     
     
       4. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the work vehicle includes one or more agricultural machines. 
     
     
       5. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aircraft includes one or more agricultural drones. 
     
     
       6. A method executed by an information processing apparatus having a processor and a communication interface configured to communicate with a vehicle and an unmanned aircraft which are configured to automatically tow a work vehicle, the method comprising:
 based on a degree of soiling of a sensor included in the work vehicle exceeding a predetermined value, controlling the unmanned aircraft by transmitting a first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft and controlling the vehicle by transmitting a second command via the communication interface to the vehicle, the unmanned aircraft, in response to the first command, automatically flying and towing the work vehicle on a non-public road from a work place of the work vehicle to a waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically driving and towing the work vehicle on a public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to a first place, and 
 based on the degree of soiling of the sensor included in the work vehicle being equal to or less than the predetermined value, controlling the vehicle by transmitting the second command via the communication interface to the vehicle without transmitting the first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft, so that the work vehicle automatically drives using the sensor on the non-public road from the work place of the work vehicle to the waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically drives and tows the work vehicle on the public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to the first place. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the vehicle is configured to carry the unmanned aircraft. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the towing includes wireless towing. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the work vehicle includes one or more agricultural machines. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the unmanned aircraft includes one or more agricultural drones. 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer having a processor and a communication interface configured to communicate with a vehicle and an unmanned aircraft which are configured to automatically tow a work vehicle, to perform operations comprising:
 based on a degree of soiling of a sensor included in the work vehicle exceeding a predetermined value, controlling the unmanned aircraft by transmitting a first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft and controlling the vehicle by transmitting a second command via the communication interface to the vehicle, the unmanned aircraft, in response to the first command, automatically flying and towing the work vehicle on a non-public road from a work place of the work vehicle to a waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically driving and towing the work vehicle on a public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to a first place, and 
 based on the degree of soiling of the sensor included in the work vehicle being equal to or less than the predetermined value, controlling the vehicle by transmitting the second command via the communication interface to the vehicle without transmitting the first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft, so that the work vehicle automatically drives using the sensor on the non-public road from the work place of the work vehicle to the waiting place of the vehicle, and the vehicle, in response to the second command, automatically drives and tows the work vehicle on the public road from the waiting place of the vehicle to the first place. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the vehicle is configured to carry the unmanned aircraft. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the work vehicle includes one or more agricultural machines. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the unmanned aircraft includes one or more agricultural drones. 
     
     
       15. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first place is a storage shed for storing the work vehicle. 
     
     
       16. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the degree of soiling of the sensor included in the work vehicle exceeding the predetermined value, transmit the second command via the communication interface to the vehicle after transmitting the first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft and receiving a return signal via the communication interface from the vehicle or the unmanned aircraft, the return signal indicating that the unmanned aircraft has returned to the waiting place of the vehicle from the work place of the work vehicle. 
     
     
       17. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to
 acquire identification information for identifying the work vehicle, the identification information including positional information of the work vehicle, 
 identify, based on the identification information, the vehicle located at a distance that is less than a predetermined value from a current position of the work vehicle, and 
 identify the unmanned aircraft carried by the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the first place is a storage shed for storing the work vehicle. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein based on the degree of soiling of the sensor included in the work vehicle exceeding the predetermined value, the transmitting of the second command via the communication interface to the vehicle is performed after transmitting the first command via the communication interface to the unmanned aircraft and receiving a return signal via the communication interface from the vehicle or the unmanned aircraft, the return signal indicating that the unmanned aircraft has returned to the waiting place of the vehicle from the work place of the work vehicle. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 acquiring identification information for identifying the work vehicle, the identification information including positional information of the work vehicle; 
 identifying, based on the identification information, the vehicle located at a distance that is less than a predetermined value from a current position of the work vehicle; and 
 identifying the unmanned aircraft carried by the vehicle.